Abra de Ilog

Abra de Ilog is Mindoro's northern gate and it exists for one crossing: the vehicle route to Batangas on Luzon. It is the link that puts Mindoro on the road network rather than only on the flight schedule.

The crossing

Abra de Ilog to Batangas takes about 2 hours 30 minutes, with 6 sailings in our timetable. 12 active sailings across the port in both directions.

This is a roll-on roll-off route carrying buses, trucks and cars — the working link, as opposed to the fast craft that serve Puerto Galera further east.

⚠ Abra de Ilog is not Puerto Galera

Both are northern Mindoro ports reached from Batangas, and they do completely different jobs. Puerto Galera takes fast passenger boats in about an hour and lands you in the diving resorts. Abra de Ilog takes vehicles in two and a half hours and lands you on the road to San Jose and the west coast.

If you are going to Puerto Galera, this is the wrong port. If you have a vehicle or are heading for Occidental Mindoro, it is the only one.

Where it leads

The road south from here runs down the western side of Mindoro through Mamburao and Sablayan to San Jose, giving access to Apo Reef and the Mount Iglit-Baco park where the tamaraw survives. It is a long drive on variable roads.

Buses from Manila run through to Mindoro using this ferry, which is the simplest way to make the journey without organising each leg.

The Verde Island Passage

The water between Batangas and Mindoro holds what marine biologists describe as the highest concentration of shorefish biodiversity in the world. The crossing is not a wildlife trip, but the strait it uses is not ordinary water.

Season

Year round. Typhoons and rough weather suspend sailings, and the vehicle backlog after a suspension takes time to clear.